Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Gooey Cinnamon Swirl 

This cinnamon bundt cake is fluffy, moist, buttery, and has a gooey cinnamon swirl in the middle. It's topped with a cream cheese glaze. It's like a cinnamon roll in bundt form! The cinnamon bundt cake is moist and fluffy from the sour cream, and mixture of butter and oil. The butter gives it all that delicious buttery flavour and the oil keeps it moist and fluffy for days. The perfect easy fall bundt cake. 

The cinnamon swirl looks so impressive but actually couldn't be any easier to make! It's just brown sugar and cinnamon, layered into the bundt pan with the batter. Put down a half of the batter, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on, and then the rest of the batter. Don't worry it won't make the cake too sweet. The brown sugar and cinnamon create the perfect gooey cinnamon ribbon.

For the glaze you just want to beat the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and add enough milk to get it to the right consistency that you want. I opted for a thick glaze so I added more milk but you can spread it on as thicker frosting as well - just add less milk!

FAQ

Key ingredients

Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredients substitution and baking tips!

Butter: Use a good quality real butter for the best results. It needs to be softened for both the cake batter and glaze. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften.

Vegetable oil: This will make the cake super soft and moist. You can use vegetable oil, light olive oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, or any other mild tasting oil. 

Brown + granulated sugar: This recipe calls for both brown and granulated sugar. You can replace the granulated sugar for brown if you want a deeper flavour. I would not replace the brown sugar for granulated sugar. The brown sugar is key to create a gooey cinnamon ribbon right through the bundt cake.

Large eggs:  Use room temperature eggs so that they easily incorporate into the batter making it smooth and light. To bring them to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes. Dry them with a paper towel and you have ready to use room temperature eggs!

Sour cream: Use a regular sour cream (not low fat) for the best results and flavour. You want it to be room temperature to incorporate smoothly.

All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.

Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder isn’t expired or your bundt cake might end up very dense. Do not use baking soda instead, it works completely differently!

Ground cinnamon: Ground cinnamon goes into the cake batter and the ribbon of cinnamon throughout the middle. You can also replace the cinnamon with apple pie spice or pumpkin spice for a twist.

Milk: Use whole or skim milk in this recipe. Some goes into the batter and you will need a bit to thin out the cream cheese glaze.

Cream cheese: Use a full fat cream cheese for best results and flavour. Low fat cream cheese is too watery and isn’t as creamy.

Icing sugar: (aka powdered sugar) Don’t forget to sift it to get a smooth glaze. 

The swirl

1. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Mix well and set aside.

The batter

1. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease the bundt pan with a tablespoon of cold butter (or oil) and shake a tablespoon of flour all around to coat evenly. Shake out any excess flour.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt until light and fluffy for a few minutes. 
3. Add vanilla extract and (room temperature!) eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. It’s ok if the batter separates towards the end. It will come together when the flour is added.
4. Add sour cream, and beat until combined.
5. Sift flour, baking powder, and cinnamon into the batter. Fold with a whisk just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Add milk halfway through folding. It is ok if the batter is a little lumpy. 
6. Scoop half the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly on top. Scoop the remaining batter over and spread smooth.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. 
8. Remove the cinnamon bundt cake out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Place cooling rack or plate over top of the bundt cake and flip the cake. Gently tap the bundt pan to release the cake. Carefully lift off the pan to reveal the cake. Let cool completely. Prepare the glaze while it cools.

The glaze

1. Combine cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat until very light and fluffy - about 2 minutes. 
2. Add vanilla and gradually add the milk until you get the consistency you desire. 
3. Pour the glaze over the cake and let set for 10 minutes. 
4. Slice and serve the bundt cake while still slightly warm or at room temperature. 

Check out my other cozy desserts:

• Sharlotka Apple Cake
• Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls – No Knead
• Mini Blueberry Pies with Flaky Crust

Happy baking! xx

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📖 Recipe

Cinnamon Bundt Cake

Mary

This cinnamon bundt cake is fluffy, moist, buttery, and has a gooey cinnamon swirl in the middle. It's topped with a cream cheese glaze. It's like a cinnamon roll in bundt form! The cinnamon bundt cake is moist and fluffy from the sour cream, and mixture of butter and oil. The butter gives it all that delicious buttery flavour and the oil keeps it moist and fluffy for days. The perfect easy fall bundt cake.

4.73 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Shop Ingredients

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Baking, Bundt Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Equipment

• ▢
  Standard non-stick bundt pan (12 cups)

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Cinnamon Swirl

• ▢ ¾ cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ 3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bundt Cake

• ▢ 1 tablespoon cold butter for greasing
• ▢ 1 tablespoon all purpose flour for greasing
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 5 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup sour cream room temperature
• ▢ 3 ¼ cup all purpose flour 390g
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¾ cup milk room temperature

Cream Cheese Glaze

• ▢ 4 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 4 tablespoon butter softened
• ▢ 1 cup icing sugar sifted
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2-6 teaspoon milk

Instructions

 

Cinnamon Swirl

• Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Mix well and set aside.
  ¾ cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bundt Cake

• Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease the bundt pan with a tablespoon of cold butter (or oil) and shake a tablespoon of flour all around to coat evenly. Shake out any excess flour.
  1 tablespoon cold butter, 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt until light and fluffy for a few minutes.
  1 cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Add vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. It’s ok if the batter separates towards the end.
  2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 5 large eggs
• Add sour cream, and beat until combined.
  ½ cup sour cream
• Sift flour, baking powder, and cinnamon into the batter. Fold with a whisk just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Add milk halfway through folding. It is ok if the batter is a little lumpy.
  3 ¼ cup all purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ cup milk, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Scoop half the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly on top. Scoop the remaining batter over and spread smooth.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove the cinnamon bundt cake out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Place cooling rack or plate over top of the bundt cake and flip the cake. Gently tap the bundt pan to release the cake. Carefully lift off the pan to reveal the cake. Let cool completely. Prepare the glaze while it cools.

Cream Cheese Glaze

• Combine cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat until very light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.
  4 oz cream cheese, 4 tablespoon butter, 1 cup icing sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• Add vanilla and gradually add the milk until you get the consistency you desire.
  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2-6 teaspoon milk
• Pour the glaze over the cake and let set for 10 minutes. Slice and serve the bundt cake while still slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

The bundt cake will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Heat the cake very gently before serving again so that it becomes soft again. The butter in the cake will firm up in the fridge so this is highly recommended.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!